1963–1965 Meek's studio, RGM Sound, was based in
North London, where he used a band called
the Outlaws as his permanent studio musicians, also allowing them to record material under their own name. When Underwood arrived to
audition for Meek, the Outlaws were also recruiting for a lead guitarist and it was Underwood who suggested Ritchie Blackmore should fill the role, an invitation he duly accepted. Between January 1963 and June 1965, the Outlaws released six singles, as well as playing on hundreds of Meek's recording sessions with various artists. They also headlined at the
Star-Club in Hamburg with both
Jerry Lee Lewis and
Gene Vincent. In 1964, they appeared in the movie
Live It Up!, performing their single "Law & Order", mislabelled "Law and Disorder" on the end screen credits. A reviewer of Underwood's work at this time described his drumming style as "...coupling
Charlie Watts type steadiness with little
Jim McCarty style flourishes." Blackmore eventually moved to another of Meeks' bands, joining
Heinz Burt's backing band the Wild Boys, but he and Underwood still collaborated in recording sessions with Meek's engineer Derek Lawrence. One of the Derek Lawrence sessions produced Blackmore's first official release, the now highly sought-after single "Get Away" / "Little Brown Jug", released in July 1965. They also recorded "Earthshaker" and "Satan's Holiday, " which were released on the Titan label, credited to the Lancasters. "Satan's Holiday" was a fast, rock adaptation of
Grieg's "
In the Hall of the Mountain King", a tune that stayed in Blackmore's stage repertory right into the 1990s. Shortly afterwards, Underwood also left the Outlaws to take up an offer to join
the Herd.
1965–1968 With the Herd, Underwood began playing at all the major venues on the circuit, such as the
Marquee Club and
Eel Pie Island. Despite their busy schedule and the release of three singles, Underwood grew increasingly frustrated at the band's lack of success, and in 1966 he resigned from the band and the music business. A year later he accepted an invitation from singer
James Royal as a session drummer for a two-week residency at Hatchets in London's
West End. At the end of the residency, Underwood decided to stay with the band, the James Royal Set to tour with
Johnny Cash. At the end of this tour, Underwood spoke with
Peter Grant, whom he knew from the time that Grant had been tour manager for Gene Vincent when the Outlaws had been his backing band. Grant explained that he was currently working with guitarist
Jimmy Page, and was recruiting musicians to form a new band around him. Underwood considered the offer, but instead accepted one to join established act
Episode Six. Grant had asked one of his other acts, singer
Terry Reid, to join the project, who had also turned down the offer. Undeterred, Grant went on to recruit two previously unknown musicians, the singer
Robert Plant and drummer
John Bonham, and the band became
Led Zeppelin. Underwood joined ex-the Authentics frontman Henry Turtle in psychedelic rock outfit
the Doves from 1967 to 1968 alongside former
the Herd guitarist Terry Clark plus Brian Curtis, Ian McGlynn, and Harvey Hinsley (formerly of
the Outlaws and later a member of
Hot Chocolate). Underwood departed in July 1968 after EMI declined to release intended single
She's Not There, with Decca having done the same with the band's planned debut single, Smokeytime, Springtime, the previous autumn.
1968–1970 Roger Glover, bass player for Episode Six, said of their new drummer: "Mick represented a step up for us because he had been around in other bands.
The Herd had one fairly big hit so it was as if we had been connected with success." Underwood called on Gillan to produce their first single, and the band then went into rehearsals for their debut album, which was then recorded in a single 72-hour session. As in previous projects, there was little commercial success and Underwood dissolved the band, returning to session drumming. His next band was Strapps. Their eponymous debut album was recorded in 1976 at Ian Gillan's Kingsway Recorders studio in London, produced by former Episode Six colleague Roger Glover. They then toured as support act on Deep Purple's tour of the UK, and went on to release three further albums. Underwood worked again with Gillan as the support act on the UK tour of the
Ian Gillan Band, whose line-up included former Quatermass colleague John Gustafson, on bass and backing vocals. Underwood sometimes took the opportunity to view the show from within the audience after playing his own set, and recalled that he "really picked up this bewildered vibe. The fans just couldn't connect with the music, however well it was played." Meeting Gillan again at the studio had obviously put Underwood's name on the list of potentials for the job, and as Torme revealed "...we finally found the magnificently solid and under-appreciated Mick Underwood. The day after he accepted the job, Underwood and the band began to record the
Mr. Universe album, released in October 1979.
2006 onwards In 2006, Underwood along with bassist Johnny Heywood and former
Heavy Metal Kids guitarist Cosmo Verrico formed the band Raw Glory, who released an album,
City Life in 2007. In 2012, he formed Mick Underwood's Glory Road, initially with Rob Cooksley as the singer (followed by
Paul Manzi, who also sang with Raw Glory), Jeff Summers on guitar, Gary Summers on bass and backing vocals, and Roy Shipston on keyboards, performing songs from the Gillan era. In 2023, it was announced on Underwood's "Glory Road" Facebook page that he had "mixed dementia" and would no longer be contributing to the page. A memorial concert for Mick Underwood was arranged at The Cavern in
Raynes Park, London on 18 April 2025, featuring members of his former bands, with all proceeds going to charity. ==Illness and death==